Wednesday, July 21, 2004

POWER TO THE WISEThis is what the shift to pariamentary system is all about: to eliminate the chances of having the likes of ERAP and FPJ from getting a serious crack at the presidency ever again. Under the proposed parliamentary system, the head of state will be elected by and among the members of parliament. He should be man (or woman) who will earn the respect of his peers. Nobody gets respected in this place unless he knows how to please everyone. To please everyone, one should know which interests to protect. The dumb can only go so far. No more cinematic political shows. No more rhetoric to rally the masses. In the proposed parliamentary sytem, things willl get done through back channel wheeling and dealing. Wouldn't it all be a bore? It wouldn't matter now. I look at the presidential timbers for 2010 and it's gotten me scared: The time has come to end this farce. Let's move to parliament and give power to the wise.

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Way to Go ACY!

My boss over at the National Food Authority has just been named by the President to be the next Secretary of Agriculture. Arthur C. Yap will serve as one of the youngest, if not the youngest, secretaries of agriculture ever. He brings with him his experience as the first president of the Philippine Trading Corporation (PITC) to register a profit for the government trading corporation and the NFA Administrator who offered the best hope for the rice farmers with the Gloria Rice hybrid seedlings. With the Gloria Rice seedlings, the Philippines is posed to re-enter the rice export market in the next few years. As NFA Administrator, he followed a tight schedule that allowed him to go around the NFA offices in the provinces and ensure that the forefront of the agency was doing its job. He is actually the real Mr. Palengke as he has visited more palengkes than any other government official in his tenure as NFA Administrator. Best of all, ACY is a master tactician and a fellow believer of Sun Tzu's Art of War. I don't know if I'll be part of his team at the Dept. of Agriculture. But I sure am happy, we are leaving the NFA alive and unscathed.